Musharooni

I purchased the Bento boxes recommended on Eggface which I use for work and those are awesome. I have my whole days worth of food in there--everything from Eggbeaters to refried beans, string cheese, shredded cheeses, yogurts, etc, etc--and they are a great tool for providing a visual of my daily protein requirments.

Wowza! Congratulations!

My journey into WLS began over 5 years ago. I went to Dr. Clif Thomas' seminar on WLS options and why WLS is a good idea. I knew he was right. I worked with his office staff to get Gastric Bypass approved. Denied. Appeal. Denied. Appeal. Denied. A year or two later I ended up with a new insurance. Denied. Appeal. Denied. Appeal. Denied. And yet a 3rd insurance company... same results.
I was finishing nursing school at the time. I knew I wanted to work for the State in Mental Health and I've always heard that the State's insurance covers it. I committed myself to getting it ASAP. I started my new job last year. I check out the insurance... Oopsie... You have to be employed for 5 years, 1 year of psychological counseling, another millionty hoops to jump through. I was so sad and distraught. I kept my vow that if I ever worked out a way to pay for it, it was totally happening.
I should mention... during the 5 years of all this mess of trying to get approved, I decided VSG was the way to go. Good results, less invasive, fewer negative side effects... it's a winner, all around.
Late June 2012 I get a call from my Mom. My parents are getting a lump payment and are fronting me the money for my surgery. Time to get a surgeon, get a date, and get back with her with the total. Late June I go in with Dr. Clif Thomas for my consultation. The following Thursday I go in for my EGD. Two weeks later is my follow up appointment with surgery details. I have a massive hiatal hernia that he will repair for me. 07/19/2012 I am sleeved and I wake up into a new life.
PreOp Weight: 290lbs
It's funny that I truly feel like a new person since I woke up from surgery. food is not the forefront of my mind any longer. It's funny that I am getting ready for my drive to work and I think "Oh, I'll go to Sonic... Oh wait... why would I do that?" LOL! I have had little interest in food since surgery. Sure, recipes look good and I cannot wait to cook them... but the day to day drive to eat constantly is gone.
My parents are both proud of me. My GRANDFATHER is proud of me... and I can't remember any time in my life that he's ever actually told me that he's proud of me. My Mom is actually working on her pre-operative stuff for her insurance to cover her procedure.
Today is 08/19/2012... I weighed in 260.4lbs. I'll take a 30lb weight loss for my first month... sure I was stalled for 10 days... And it's over. Hooray! My goal weight is probably 145. In my mind I'd like to be under 150lbs. I'm 5'3'' so I don't think that's too small... My surgeon says 150-160lbs.
My newest goals are more simple... at least on paper... 48-64oz fluids daily... 80g Protein daily... Walk my Zoee girl daily... In September I'd like to get a cruiser bike and have a little variety...

I started about a month 1/2 out. I find the Perky Jerky brand was moist, so my sleeve tolerated it the first go round. I have had other jerky brands since and have not had any issue. Jerky is great in that it is high protein, low carb and low fat. Only downfall is high sodium, but compare brands and choose the one that is lower in sodium.

I'm just over 3 months out and the few times it has happened to me was when I take that "one more bite" or if I eat too quickly or with peanut butter. It is very uncomfortable and painful, You will eventually figure out your full signals or the foods that just don't agree with your sleeve.

Started preop diet on July 26, 2011. Had sleeve surgery Aug 23, 2011. Started at 370lbs on preop diet. Today I weigh 161lbs. I have lost 209lbs. I am living proof that it can be done.

I'm all most four months out and feel great. I have lost 46lbs, gone from a size 18/20 to a size 14. I love having a much smaller stomach and not constantly thinking of food. Worth very penny I had to pay.

My tip is protein first! At about the 6 month mark, you'll be able to eat more carbs than you think, and at that point the "protein first" rule becomes very important. Also, expect that you may have stalls or plateaus, and be prepared for things to slow down the closer you get to your goal weight. Finally, my tip is to really enjoy and appreciate the weight you have lost. I am not to my goal yet (with 25 lbs to go), but I fully appreciate how much better I feel, and I take advantage of my far greater health. I think that if I focused on the "25 lbs to go" rather than the 125 lbs lost, I'd feel discouraged right now. As it is, I feel pretty great and I just ran my first half-marathon!

While you're still newly sleeved, take advantage of that "honeymoon" period to make the behavior changes you're going to need to make to carry you through the rest of your life. At first you're going to see changes and rewards come quickly, use these as motivation and reasons to stick with your plan. Journal your food and activity. Learn about metabolism , basal metabolic rate (BMR) and how muscle building positively impacts BMR. Understand that this is going to be work, this is not the easy way out.

Yes I agree health should come from the inside out! Yes I am thinking of entering Martial Arts once I get me surgery done. I think I will feel more confident and more able to preform those exercises. I am glad I found this site. It is so supportive.

Sorry to hear your family is not supporting you in this decision, but so glad to hear you have girlfriends to be there for you. This site is also a great place to come for support and information. Keep in mind this is a journey--YOUR journey, and each persons is different, and that a bad day is simply that, ONE bad day and you can overcome it. Work this tool, follow the instructions of your surgeon and your NUT, and as soon as you are able, find an activity you enjoy that will help you to burn calories. Not only is it great for that, but its a great way to clear your head and start taking care of you.

I am 2 months & 5 days out and I feel FABULOUS. I don't know your particular situation, but for me, I was sick & tired of being sick & tired. Deciding to have this surgery & add this tool to my life was the best choice I've made. I am loving life now...

It's true. Our heads really do influence our perceptions of even positive things! I did some paperwork for a stripper recently and we started talking about her job. I've posted before that I actually went to a strip club with friends and that I would love to look like those girls do when I get to goal. Anyway, the stripper told me that I should come audition at her club and I was shocked. I'm nowhere near my goal weight and I'd never take my clothes off in public. Her advice to me was that I should really do the audition because they have clientele that wants to see girls who are bigger... she even gave me some advice on dealing with areas that I think are flaws, like my abdomen!
Afterwards, I was stunned that I had to keep reminding myself that the conversation was intended by her to be flattering to me, because my brain kept concentrating on the negatives rather than the positive that this professional stripper was giving me.
Unless I get really desperate or my business tanks, I don't think anyone will see me headlining at the local strip club, but it is nice to know I have career options!

I'm not sure where to put this, but I figure exercise is the closest place to put it although a mental health forum might be a close second (if we had one).
Last night, I watched the plump pole dancer, and I was horrified and in awe all at the same time. She was doing things and seemed so much more confident with her body than I have ever been with mine. Plus, she was athletic. I doubt I could climb that pole now let alone when I was at my heaviest. It just made me feel like I did in gym class and couldn't climb the rope. I have never had upper arm strength. But here she is, and she is big but strong and flexible. She did drop splits!
I watched the whole thing imagining myself doing that, and I would be horrified. I found myself feeling embarrassed for her, and she wasn't embarrassed. Why should I be on her behalf? Two of the judges X'd her, and I was mortified for her. I swear I was cringing from the crowds booing her.
Today, I was worried about what people would be saying about her. I found this story online about her performance: http://www.baltimore...,0,608245.story
And suddenly, I had to rethink what I was seeing the night before. The story put a positive spin on her performance and even claimed the audience wanted to see more of her. My impression the night before was that the the audience was against her. To figure out the truth, I watched the video, and the audience was cheering. I realized that last night as I watched her, I projected all of my negative self talk onto her. That little negative voice that was in my head for so long when I was heavy but had disappeared since I've lost weight? It was still there and going full speed.
Last night, I remember being so impressed that she went out there in a bikini. I have never worn a bikini in public not even when I was a teenager and cheerleader. Her ability to go out there wearing that was amazing and something I couldn't do. Today, I also realized that she wasn't really wearing a bikini. It was a one piece that looks like a bikini with skin-colored material in between the top and bottom, but still she was wearing less than I would in public, plus she was pole dancing in front of a huge crowd. The girl has gumption and is athletic too.
It made me realize that I still have that negative voice inside my head, and I need to be on guard against it. I need to make sure that I'm not talking myself out of things before I really try them. I need to develop a more positive voice -- one with confidence and guts and a "who cares?" attitude. I should call the new voice Lulu.

You need to friend request a lot of the folks from VST who are on there. I think my friends are mostly VST members and they are SO supportive. It's really nice to post my workout in the morning and know that I'm going to get a high five from someone! I'm definitely not as good as giving them back as I should be, but I haven't seen a single negative post on MFP.
I'm Lissa912 on there.

Hey everyone .... I have been on this site A LOT over the last year through my journey. I spend hours reading inspirational post and tips from others. It has helped me do much in times of need. July 7 will be my one year and so far I'm loving my new self. When I started is was 312. As of a few weeks ago I was 183. I have struggled over the last month with loosing and Im getting frustrated. My goal is 160 .... Sooo close!!

I actually did jazzercise today! It was a ton of fun. I have a free 7 day pass so I plan on going back tomorrow.

Karen is right.. that's almost 3lbs a week which any Dr would say is Fabulous. It didn't all go on overnight and it won't all come off overnight. If you think you should be losing more then I would look at how much protien you are getting in compared to carbs and make sure you are getting all of your water in daily. The slower you lose the lower chance you will have of having saggy skin and I bet you won't be disappointed with that.

17 pounds is great! If you started at a lower BMI, you'll lose slower initially. The great news is that you'll get to goal faster and you will be neck and neck with the higher BMI folks by 9 months out because you'll lose more steadily.
If you're higher BMI, then you need to up your Water intake to at least 64 oz a day. Water is truly the key to losing here because it flushes the junk out of our systems. Make sure you are eating enough, get in that 70 grams of Protein per day and try to stay on the lower end of carbs UNLESS you're working out a lot.
Working out, in and of itself, can slow down our weight loss as well because it converts fat to muscle. Just keep doing it... oh, and lose the words "only" and "slow" about your weight loss! They're depressing words. When have you ever been able to lose 17 pounds in six weeks before???

Let's see, my surgery was June 13. I quit smoking, after 37 yrs, alcohol & coffee on June 1. No cravings noted for any of them.

I am hardly a vet, but I think the best advice is something I've seen on here many times before--this is a journey, not a race. Take your time, follow the instructions given by your NUT and your Surgeon and take it day-by-day, hour-by-hour, and minute-by-minute.

I am hardly a vet, but I think the best advice is something I've seen on here many times before--this is a journey, not a race. Take your time, follow the instructions given by your NUT and your Surgeon and take it day-by-day, hour-by-hour, and minute-by-minute.

37.3 lbs GONE (including pre-op diet!) If I count that time, I'm 9 weeks and 2 days out - and feel AMAZING! Yay for April!

Thanks Musharooni--be sure to keep us posted on your progress, and welcome

Congrats on your 1st week out. To reiterate what kmbrlycool said, head hunger is one of the demons you are going to be facing for sometime. I am approx month and 1/2 out and it is still a battle. Fortunately, your sleeve helps you recognize head hunger whereas, I know for myself, before the sleeve hunger meant "eat" which is why I was in the situation I was in. Good luck to you...remember, this is a journey, not a race and you'll do great!